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Every story has a beginning. Every realized dreamscape, every fantastic voyage, every intelligent android to ever appear on screen starts with blank page or a blinking cursor. Science fiction has always been about incredible possibilities and exploring the unknown, and what offers more opportunity than an empty page?

Other Worlds is dedicated to fostering and promoting creativity in Science Fiction at every stage of development, so we are proud to announce our annual SciFi Screenwriting Contest is now currently open and accepting submissions! The contest runs concurrently with the film program, and will award prizes for the top feature, short or teleplay.

Deadline/Entry Fees

Rules

Scripts must not have been produced, optioned or sold prior to December 1, 2016.

All entrants certify to the originality of the entered script, or in the case of Specs and Retro-Specs, the originality of their handling of the material. Entrants warrant there are no disputes regarding the ownership of the submission and that the submitted material does not defame or invade the rights of any person living or dead. Entrants fully indemnify Other Worlds Austin and its agents against any claim made for such violations of law.

Scripts must be works of Science Fiction, no horror or fantasy themed scripts will be considered. Hybrid genres (SciFi Horror ala Aliens/Event Horizon/etc.) are perfectly acceptable.

In the event of shared authorship, all writers will share prize money equally. It will be up to primary entrant to communicate all notices and divide all prize money with the other writers.

Entrants may submit more than one screenplay/teleplay in any chosen category, as well as enter different scripts in different categories. Each script entry requires a separate application and fee. All entries and payment must be made through the Festival Freeway website, no cash or check payment will be accepted.

Once an entry has been made, we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.

All scripts will be judged as entered, no revisions will be accepted.

All scripts must be entered as .pdfs. No physical copies.

All scripts must be in English.

No supplementary material should be sent. No show bibles, treatments, or reality show formats will be accepted for the Teleplay competition.

Consulting can only be done on winning scripts. No substitutions.

By entering the script in the competition, the entrant is agreeing to all rules and regulations of the competition. Entrant agrees to hold Other Worlds Austin and its agents harmless from and defend them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any script.

Entrant gives Other Worlds Austin the non-revokable right to use your name and the script title, synopsis, and short excerpt (no longer than 10 pages) in our marketing materials in perpetuity.

Please register your script. Although this is not a requirement, it is highly suggested. The only true protection for a writer in any dispute is a proper registration with the US Copyright Office, this is in addition to any registration with the WGA West or WGA East.

All decisions of the festival and its agents are final.

See website for additional guidelines.

Awards

$250 awarded to Category winners in all three categories (Features, Teleplays, and Shorts) PLUS an additional $250 for the Grand Prize Winner selected from all three.

Free copies of all five Save the Cat!® books for all Category Winners and Finalists.

Free copy of Save the Cat!® Story Structure Software 3.0: Structure your screenplay the Save the Cat!® Way for all Category Winners and Finalists.

Winner in Feature category will receive Save the Cat!® coverage for their single script, up to 120 pages in length.

Winners of Short and Teleplay categories will receive a one hour consultation from Save the Cat! ®

Winning Scripts will be announced the week after the Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival, December 7-10, 2017 with the Audience Awards and the Cthulhies in a national press release. Finalists will be announced in November.

All entries will receive feedback on their scripts at the conclusion of the Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival, December 7-10 2017, if desired. All feedback will be distributed by March of the following year at the latest.

NOTE: there must be at least 50 entries in a category to be awarded a prize. Categories w/ less than 50 entries may be combined w/ other categories when awarding prizes. However, a winning script will still be selected in each category (no matter the total entries).

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Contest News

Other Worlds Austin Names 2017 Screenplay Contest Winners

As part of its ongoing mission to encourage work in Science Fiction, Other Worlds Austin held its third annual SciFi Screenplay Contest to reward creativity in its earliest stages and encourage writers to keep working in the genre. The contest is sponsored by Save the Cat!&reg;

This year's Other Worlds contest garnered an impressive array of scripts from all over the country. The Grand Prize winner is the feature script GRAVITATIONAL MASS by Kris Kapp. The Teleplay winner is THE QUENCH by Bryan Abrams and Michael Keller. The Short Screenplay winner is THE TRANSPORTER DEVICE by Alan R. Howcroft.

2017 Other Worlds Austin Screenplay Winners:

Screenplay Feature
GRAVITATIONAL MASS by Kris Kapp

A punk loser who could hack anything but a future, risks everything in pursuit of a beautiful off-world agent offering a last chance at redemption in this sci-fi tale of greed and betrayal.

"GRAVITATIONAL MASS utilizes varied and imaginative set pieces and compelling characters, to tell an intricate story about family, duty, failure, and betrayal, making it exactly the kind of thing we look for at Other Worlds," says Eric Harrelson, OWA Programmer and Screenwriting Director.

Screenplay Teleplay
THE QUENCH by Bryan Abrams and Michael Keller

When machines begin to replace more and more skilled workers, how will society adjust?

"THE QUENCH shows us how advancing technology affects the daily lives of everyone, from the laborers replaced by robots to those who create the replacements," says Harrelson. "It uses a near future setting to explore our current fears and anxieties."

Screenplay Short
THE TRANSPORTER DEVICE by Alan R. Howcroft

A young academic recruited to military intelligence learns of a revolutionary technology, which only she can acquire.

"THE TRANSPORTER DEVICE shows how authority uses the threat of technology and the guise of security to exploit the relationship between father and daughter," says Harrelson.